It’s no secret that a majority of RIT’s population is male. With women making up a third of the student body and 20% of computer science majors, it can be hard for female students to find a community.
Women in Computing (WiC) is an inclusive organization that connects students, faculty and alumni through professional, leadership and technical development opportunities at RIT. WiC’s mission is to encourage the advancement of women and gender minorities in computing in a field heavily dominated by men.
WiC strives to create a safe space for students to build friendships and make connections with other women in classes. Jessica Ancillotti, a graduate student studying computer science, shared her experience coming to RIT and not having an orientation like the undergraduate freshmen.
“WiC was helpful,” said Ancillotti, who started going to meetings during her first semester and recently became the head of logistics for the organization. “To be able to come to that first WiC meeting and get to see other women all throughout RIT, and start making actual friendships and connections, and finding people that were in my classes, because coming into here not knowing anybody was hard. Then being able to meet people that were in the same boat was just really nice and helpful.”
Anyone, regardless of major and gender, can become a part of WiC. They host meetings every Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Golisano Hall (GOL) 2400. Students can become an active member by attending at least half of the general and committee meetings in a semester, as well as a social event and a volunteer event. Active members have more opportunities to attend conferences and network with tech companies and alumni.
Events Through WiC
Beyond RIT, WiC hosts a variety of outreach events that connect K-12 girls with RIT students and allow them to grow an interest in computing. Some of these events include Girl Scout Badge Day, hosted on Feb. 1, and ROCGirls Hacks. The biggest event WiC hosts is called WiCHacks, a 24-hour hackathon. During this time, students work in teams to create an app, website, game or some other software. There are activities throughout the night to keep students engaged, such as midnight boba and 2 a.m. limbo. Major tech companies like Google and Microsoft have sponsored the event, opening doors for networking. WiC also sends buses to surrounding schools such as the University of Rochester, Cornell, Syracuse and the University at Buffalo to permit other students to join. Last year, 150 women and gender minorities participated, with 45 projects being submitted at the end of the event. In 2025, the hackathon was held on March 1, in honor of the start of Women’s History Month.
Getting Involved
Every year, WiC manages sponsorship to send active members to the Grace Hopper Conference, the world’s largest conference of women and gender minority technologists. This conference features keynote addresses by leaders in the industry and workshops to prepare students for their future careers.
Through WiC, students can study in the Wegmans WiC Collaboratory, located in GOL-2350. The collaboratory is also home to many of WiC’s projects, including an arcade table, which was created using a Raspberry Pi 3 to run RetroPie.
Using a refitted 3D printer, members are currently constructing a frame that can emulate a person’s handwriting using Arduino software. Active members can utilize the Ultimaker 2+ printer, which allows students to 3D print up to 25 grams of filament for free each semester.
WiC is one of the organizations under the President’s Commission on Women at RIT, whose mission is to create a community where women can embrace their identity and develop skills to thrive. Other groups designed by the commission include Women in Technology, Women in Science, Women in Engineering and Women in Business. These organizations all host weekly meetings and strive to create a community where women and gender minorities can grow beyond the classroom.
